How Ralph Can Help

Should You Maximize Social Security?

Whether to maximize Social Security is not always an obvious one for everyone. If you don’t have a very good opinion of the program, it may seem like a waste of time to go through every line item in order to make a few extra pennies every month. You may think that your time is better off spent diversifying your investments rather than trusting an untrustworthy system.

However, while it would be a mistake to count on Social Security as your sole source of income, it wouldn’t be a mistake to try to maximize your benefits. Most people don’t realize what’s available to them, both before and after they file, simply because it’s impossible to understand the program without putting in the time and effort. If you work with a financial advisor, you not only get the benefit of their expertise, but you can see how Social Security works in context with the rest of your portfolio — and the rest of your secure retirement income.

Remember that your benefits depend on your individual career path, so you can’t make assumptions based on anecdotes from neighbors and friends. At Retirement by Ralph, you’ll learn how to maximize Social Security, so you can pay for more standard monthly expenses without having to rely on your savings. You can also combine that income with other income sources, like rental checks from rental properties or a pension plan, so you’ll have new income coming in — as opposed to dipping into your emergency funds.

Ralph has worked with Dr. Laurence J. Kotlikoff, who is considered to be one the premier experts in Social Security maximization.

Dr. Kotlikoff is a renowned economist, Boston University professor, and a leading expert on Social Security maximization. He advocates for everyone to investigate getting the most of the benefits to which they are entitled.

So, as you might realize, it’s a worthwhile endeavor – because once your choices are made, they cannot be reversed.

How to Have a Tax Free Retirement

It’s not always easy to think about taxes. It’s not just the myriad of numbers that all factor into your bottom line either. Every local, state, and federal law plays some role in your paperwork, and it’s not always easy to decipher how those laws help or hurt you. What’s more, you probably don’t know just how many choices you have when it comes down to how you file. It’s not as easy as opening a trust or deferring capital gains on a sale or two.

At Retirement by Ralph, you can work directly with Ralph to go over your taxes. In addition, he’ll look at each decision you make in the context of your larger retirement goals and personal tastes. For instance, if you’re planning on living a fairly modest retirement, you might be planning to use your wealth to help fund your descendant’s future. Or if you pride yourself on your philanthropic efforts, you might want to diversify your charitable giving.

Ralph understands that taxes can be a minefield to navigate, particularly if you’ve been used to filing them a certain way. The good news is that the right advisor can help you rethink your plans, which can end up strengthening your portfolio.

Investment Advice that Works 

When people can make millions off their old toy collections and lose millions on supposedly sure bets, it may seem like there are no rules to investing. This isn’t true, but it’s easy to see why people throw up their hands and assume it’s all luck. Ralph Schlosser may not be able to predict everything ahead, but he can tell you how to look at the market from a new perspective. 

It’s important to note that a new perspective can mean different things to different people. The stock advice is always to branch out and diversify, but this blanket statement doesn’t consider what your holdings look like. Plenty of people have diversified portfolios without generating the kind of returns they expected. Ralph can tell you that it’s not as simple as adding certain assets and calling it a day. 

Whether you’re interested in real estate, bonds, or index funds, you’ll need to know how each investment group will likely perform. This often comes down to preference. Some clients will feel comfortable taking more risks, while others will prefer to play it safe. No matter what your disposable income is or what your personal relationship is with risk, Ralph’s goal is to help you strike a healthy balance.

For some clients, he may request they pull in the reins a little, so they can stave off big losses if one asset should tank. Others he’ll push to become a bit more aggressive, so they can have the Golden Years they always pictured. For whatever category you fit into, a boutique retirement firm can go a long way to giving your portfolio a more comfortable bottom line.